


in this silence

by mionesena



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crime Thriller, M/M, Roommates, Slow Burn, mention of knives guns and blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26507218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mionesena/pseuds/mionesena
Summary: taeyong, an assassin on a mission, meets a law student looking for a new roommate; doyoung, unbeknownst to him, was only added to the equation to complete the plan.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 21
Kudos: 126
Collections: Challenge #1 — and they were roommates





	in this silence

**Author's Note:**

> the prompt i had for this was heavily inspired by the movie ‘anna’, and the drama ‘stranger/secret forest season 2' (which is ending on october 4 btw!)
> 
> you might find loopholes as you read, but i do hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

[a playlist for you](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6D6jYlYwlotjfyE0NA4uFm?si=xQEj8f2rTS-v52tvMIHrzA)

Taeyong had been lurking around the city. A new assignment meant he had to blend into a different crowd, a skill that he had mastered by heart, amongst others. When you choose to live the life of an assassin, you have to come to terms beforehand that you will just be scribbles on a page. One moment you’re there, the next moment you’re not — erased clean as if you were never there to begin with.

He’d been assigned, three days ago, to spy on an assemblyman who has been allegedly drug trafficking for years. The assignment was plain, as a matter of fact, compared to his previous ones. Spy on the assemblyman and provide intel to the headquarters. No knives, guns, or blood involved, unless the situation permits. It was simple, but he knows ‘simple’ is not in the vocabulary of his line of work — and he was right.

Two days later, Taeyong came rushing to the headquarters with adrenaline coursing through his veins. “It’s not drugs alone. He’s involved in human trafficking too,” he fumed, barging into the chief’s office. It’s a typical yet polished office — a grand table on the far center, a set of sofas across it, and the flags of South Korea and the National Intelligence Service on each side. He found the chief sitting on the inner side of the table, his back facing Taeyong.

“I need you to stay in Seoul for a few more weeks, Taeyong,” the chief said in his usual deep voice. “Keep track of their movements until we find the right time to execute,” he faced him, revealing a man wearing a black suit that fits perfectly on his lean body.

“This is bigger than our assumptions, Kyungsoo,” Taeyong said, walking over to the sofa to sit. 

Kyungsoo followed suit and sat on the single sofa, “This is a matter of domestic _and_ international intelligence, which is why I’m assigning an exceptional assassin.”

Taeyong smirked, feeling honored from Kyungsoo’s remark. He’d been trained by Kyungsoo for years to be the assassin he is today. More so, he looked up to him like an older brother — a home away from home. However, this case also rubbed him in the wrong way. He had eliminated numerous people who smuggled drugs and weapons, but exploitation is beyond inhumane and he’s ready to punish anyone he catches guilty.

“The operation this time will be different,” Kyungsoo said, laying down papers on the table. It has photos of a dormitory, of the assemblyman’s connections in other countries, and access to classified information. “Gather as much intel as you can for now, and report to _me_ only,” he eyed him. No blood will be shed just _yet._

“Affirmative,” Taeyong answered, scanning the documents he was provided with.

“Go to this address tomorrow and bring your stuff with you. You’ll be living in a dormitory for now,” Kyungsoo said before asking him to leave.

  
  


...

  
  


Taeyong was astounded. When Kyungsoo mentioned that they’ll be operating differently, it never occurred to him that he would be living with a stranger, but here he was standing outside a dormitory near Seoul National University and in proximity to the alleged rendezvous of the assemblyman and the smugglers. It’s a risky move from Kyungsoo, having an ordinary citizen on Taeyong’s side, but a smart move as long as he stays vigilant. The hustle and bustle of the neighborhood during this time of the year — the start of the school year — is the best set-up to blend in anyway.

He entered the building and was escorted by the owner to room 11. Needless to say, Taeyong already knew a bit about his roommate before their actual meeting. As an assassin, he has intel to a lot of things, but little did he know that he would be astonished once the door to the room opened. Standing across from him is Kim Doyoung, 2nd year law student in SNU, enlisted in the military after getting his undergraduate degree, and the cutest person Taeyong has met. _Yes, cute._

“Hi, Taeyong?” Doyoung smiled, showing off his gums. He looked comfortable in his ruffled hair, specs, pajamas, and oversized white t-shirt combo. 

Taeyong introduced himself, reaching his hand out to Doyoung, and the latter grabbed it with a smile and an introduction of himself as well. Doyoung lets him inside the room, and Taeyong scans it out of habit. It’s exactly how it looked in photos — two beds horizontally aligned to each other with two study tables and one column of bookshelf in between them. He sees Doyoung’s cluttered belongings on the right side and catches a glimpse of books he remembers reading as a kid, such as the Constitution of South Korea and the Penal Code. He also notices the plushies on Doyoung’s bed, and found it endearing how the plushies matched Doyoung’s personality.

“I swear I’m not a messy roommate,” Doyoung blurted, probably noticing Taeyong looking. “You just caught me organizing my readings.”

“That’s a relief,” Taeyong smiled, and it’s a rare and genuine one. “I thought I’d have to change rooms too.”

Doyoung pouted at the remark, knowing fully well that Taeyong was referring to his supposed-to-be roommate. “Hey, I’m not the reason for his sudden decision to back out,” he argued. 

Taeyong only smirked, definitely enjoying the sullen look on Doyoung’s face, before he walked to his side of the room. Doyoung asked questions, of course, and Taeyong was an expert at lies — telling the story of how he moved out from his parents’ house in Daegu to look for a job in Seoul. _All lies._

The agency also successfully planted a gun, silencer, and knives under his bed before Doyoung arrived. Everything was well planned that even the transfer of Doyoung’s roommate was the agency’s doing. And Doyoung, unbeknownst to the guy, was just added to the equation to complete the plan.

  
  


...

  
  


The second time Taeyong talked with Doyoung was the following day after the move in, when the latter asked him for his contact number in case of emergencies. Other than that, the week passed by pretty quickly for Taeyong, and without any interactions with his roommate. It wasn’t much of a surprise considering how he’s been moving around Seoul for his mission — going and leaving the dorm in the wee hours of the night. Of course he didn’t mind it at all, he preferred little to no interactions with him actually, but then Doyoung suddenly made his presence known.

It started with the little things that surprised Taeyong in a good way— Doyoung messaging him at the middle of the day to ask him to dinner, which he painfully declined; Doyoung leaving notes on his table to let him know he cooked food for him; Doyoung lighting up scented candles at night which definitely made him sleep better; and Doyoung asking him how his day was when he finally went home earlier than usual.

One night, Taeyong had a nightmare. His streaks of nightmares began on his first shoot to kill assignment, and it was all too terrifying at first that Taeyong would go on for days running on only a few hours of sleep. Eventually, the nightmares stopped and visited Taeyong only on days he felt most anxious and restless. Tonight, he spent his sleep dreaming that he was in the middle of the ocean, treading the water for something to hold on to; and then he was drowning, the water replacing the air he breathed. It was completely horrifying until suddenly, he heard a distant and familiar voice chanting his name multiple times.

He woke up panting and crying, with Doyoung right in front of him. He doesn’t know how and when it happened but he found himself in the comfort of Doyoung’s arms.

“Hey,” Doyoung said, worried. “It’s okay, Taeyong. You’re okay.” 

Taeyong couldn’t let a word out as he was still in utter shock. He felt exhausted that all he could do was nod to everything Doyoung said while the latter lit a scented candle and got him a glass of water.

When Taeyong finally calmed down after a while, Doyoung decided to finally confess, “This happened the other night too.”

“Really? I don’t remember that,” Taeyong stuttered, looking up from the water he was drinking.

“I tried to wake you up but you wouldn’t,” Doyoung continued, locking eyes with Taeyong. He looked scared. “You calmed down after some time though, and I just stayed by your side until you were asleep again.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Taeyong answered softly, he felt terrible and thankful.

“After that, I bought a scented candle to see if it would help and I think it did?” Doyoung showed him his gummy smile again. “You look like a baby when you sleep soundly,” he even teased.

Taeyong could feel his whole face heat up, and suddenly the past few days made sense to him. The way Doyoung cared for him was unusual, but somehow he knew that it didn’t come out of pity. That night isn’t any different as Doyoung tucked him into bed, and Taeyong could say it was the best slumber he’s had in a long while.

  
  


...

  
  


Each of us has our own rules in life, whatever it may be. For Taeyong, it is to never get attached to anyone he meets. His life isn’t meant for attachments because it’s dangerous for anyone involved. But lately, he and Doyoung have been spending more time together than he had planned, and what he fears is the fact that he doesn’t mind. Truth be told, he craves it all the more.

Tonight, Taeyong cooked dinner for them while Doyoung studied to prepare for his class recitation the next day. He has found pleasure in cooking for the latter lately.

“Doyoung,” Taeyong said as he laid out their food on his table. “Why did you take up law?”

“Because of my father,” Doyoung answered, still looking at the book he was reading.

“Was your father wrongly accused and sentenced to life prison?” Taeyong asked. Of course he knew the answer to that, he did a background check on Doyoung after all. He does a background check on people he meets more than once, and people he finds interest in. Doyoung was the foremore, initially, but the past few weeks with Doyoung has been quite interesting.

“Frankly, the opposite. You sound like you watch too many dramas,” Doyoung laughed, looking up from his book. He walked from the table he was leaning on to his bed where he sat slowly, and continued, “My father practices law. He was a prosecutor before he shifted careers to become a defense attorney, and whichever side of the spectrum he was, he believed in justice. He either strongly enforced the law or protected the constitutional rights of the person he is representing.” 

What Taeyong noticed the most was how Doyoung said it proudly, and he only wished he could say the same about his father.

“You’re not sure about that,” Taeyong answered back. “Your father could’ve been accepting bribes for all you know.”

“I know,” Doyoung said firmly. “I’m aware that lawyers can be swayed too, but my father is different. He worked with a strong belief on ethics. On justice. I grew up understanding that the law is harsh but it is the law, and it should be the same for the unpopular and the higher-ups.”

Taeyong hummed, “Then which side of the criminal justice system are you more partial to?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out,” Doyoung looked at the window and stared at it as if he was contemplating.

“You sound _and think_ like a prosecutor, actually.”

“Really?” Doyoung turned his face to him and raised his brows. “How can you say so?”

There was silence. The question brought back memories Taeyong wanted to forget. _“I encountered prosecutors and defense attorneys from attending the trials of my father as a kid,”_ he wanted to say, but chose not to. He can’t disclose that information about him.

“I watched actual trials before,” Taeyong shrugged. “And, ‘Prosecutor Kim Doyoung’ has a nice ring to it.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Doyoung smirked, not prying any further on Taeyong’s business. He stood up, reached for the mini refrigerator and took out a bottle of wine which he raised for Taeyong to see. “I had this saved for special occasions, but it looks like we need a drink.”

Something about tonight indeed made Taeyong want to spend it drinking _with_ Doyoung. But the hint of hesitation was there, knowing Doyoung is still preparing for his classes.

“Do you want to drink with me tonight or not?” Doyoung said as if he was reading Taeyong’s mind. But before he could even answer, Doyoung was already sitting comfortably beside him and saying he isn’t taking no for an answer.

Taeyong could only smile, the same genuine smile that he keeps showing only to Doyoung. The night isn’t what he expected it to be and he figured only Doyoung can bring him to strip off the many facades he wears. Tonight, he’s just Taeyong, and he never wanted nothing less than to have more of these moments with Doyoung.

  
  


...

  
  


The next days were hectic for the both of them — Doyoung has been bombarded with a great deal of cases that he only wished the days were longer to have more time to read; Taeyong, on the other hand, has been following several people, observing and watching their every move to orchestrate the agency’s plan. It was restless for them, but they’ve been finding comfort in each other’s company whether it was watching a movie, eating a meal, talking about anything under the sun, or simply being together in the silence.

But good things always come to an end, don’t it?

  
  


...

  
  


_“Execute order.”_

These were the last words Taeyong heard before he carried out what he’s been trained to do. Hours later, news about the assassination of several drug smugglers arose all over Korea, followed by the exposure of Assemblyman Lee’s involvement in drug and human trafficking; all of which led to public unrest.

A week before, Taeyong went back to the headquarters for the execution planning upon learning Assemblyman Lee’s plans to meet with drug smugglers. It was the perfect timing, much like hitting two birds in one stone, and all the agency needed was an assassin fit for the job.

It was another successful operation, but for Taeyong, it was something more. The end of an operation leads to another operation, and it means that his previous identity will be wiped out along with the life he lived with it. He’s gotten used to the protocol by now, but for once in his lifetime, he didn’t want that to happen. He didn’t want it because he finally had something or someone he wants to hold on to— Doyoung.

In the past, Taeyong would leave without any goodbyes, but this time, he had to. And he will do it whether or not Kyungsoo gives him permission — which Kyungsoo did, much to his surprise.

Taeyong now stood in front of the door of their room and found it hilarious that the odds played him like this. Ever since, he has been an assassin duly serving the country without attachments, but his life turned 180 degrees in a few weeks time. 

He saw Doyoung the moment he opened the door. The last time they talked over the phone, Doyoung was fuming mad over Assemblyman Lee, and he’s been figuring out how he’ll be able to attend the trial in person ever since. 

“Hey,” Taeyong said with a sad smile as soon as he opened the door.

Doyoung enthusiastically turned from his table to face him but it all faded when he saw the sullen look on Taeyong’s face, “Yong, is something wrong?”

“I have something to tell you,” Taeyong trailed off, deciding to go straight to the point. He walked closer to Doyoung and sat on the bed, “I’m leaving, Doyoung.”

Doyoung looked confused. And so Taeyong continued, “I got accepted to a job in the U.S.” 

“I see.” Doyoung’s voice broke down, “When are you leaving?”

“I have to pack and leave tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a lie. Kyungsoo had just informed him that he’ll be transferred next week for another assignment. But the nature of the job wasn’t something Taeyong could tell Doyoung about, so he didn’t explain further. 

_Silence._

“I’m happy for you,” Doyoung said eventually, with a smile that was both genuine and sad. “I mean, it’s bitter that you’re leaving but I’m happy for you, Yong.”

Taeyong felt a pang on his heart. If only Doyoung knew what his job truly was. If only Doyoung knew the life of lies he lives. _If only._

The moon shone brightly on them as they walked outside, their hands finding their way to each other later on. These are the moments Taeyong don’t want to lose. And if he could stop time under this moonlight with Doyoung, he would, but all he could do is bask in the present and hope for the future. Maybe one day when they meet again, the timing will finally be right. 

“In this world full of lies, you are the plot twist I feared but secretly hoped for, Doyoung,” he whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> i sincerely thank you for reaching the end of this au. writing this one was a rollercoaster ride for me, and i enjoyed it so much i might actually write a spinoff...  
> ( ￣ー￣)φ__
> 
> **edit**  
> stranger 2 has ended and i'm heartbroken :( i miss them already! but as doyoung said, it's the perfect timing because he can focus more on the comeback. same doyoung, same.
> 
> **edit 210106**  
> hello! i am very happy to announce that i've started working on the sequel aaaa!! the timeline is still unclear for now, but i want to give you a sequel that will have you on the edge of your seats. so please bear with me while i write :> here's the [prompt](https://twitter.com/tysnowbun/status/1322069865419599873?s=20)!
> 
> again, kudos and/or comments are much appreciated! i'd love to know what you think ♡


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